Wildfire in Brantley County burns on, leaving some residents without homes

Caption

Cars, a trailer home and trees are burned into shades of skeletal gray after the Highway 82 fire in Brantley County, Ga., on April 22, 2026.

Credit: Georgia Forestry Commission

NAHUNTA, Ga. — A wildfire in Southeast Georgia continues largely uncontained even after destroying dozens of homes and prompting the Federal Emergency Management Agency to unlock disaster aid.  

The Highway 82 Fire in Brantley County still stands at about 5,000 acres in size, though dwarfed by the Pineland Road Fire far to the southwest in Clinch County and Echols County. That fire had consumed close to six times as much timberland by Thursday morning.  

But the Brantley County fire is surrounded by more homes and businesses and still is only about 15% contained.  

Elliot Ippolito evacuated his home with his family. He said he could see the fire around both sides of his house, which, luckily was spared.  

"It happened so fast once it jumped the highway," Ippolito said. "There wasn't enough time to prepare anything but grabbing animals and essentials and taking off."

Ippolito only lost his backyard shed. But by Thursday afternoon, some 87 homes had burned. 

From an empty storefront in the town of Nahunta, resident Jessica Jones set up a relief effort. 

"They've lost everything: There's nothing to go back to or sift through, or it's a total loss for most of them," Jones said of fire refugees. "So we're trying to get them through the immediate future. They don't have a lot of space to keep the stuff, but we should be here. I expect to be here for weeks."

Area residents are still being told to stay ready for evacuation with bags packed with basic necessities and medication, and to make sure pets are all accounted for.  

Caption

Smoke from the Highway 82 fire towers over rows of planted pine trees on April 21, 2026.

Credit: Georgia Forestry Commission

Unpredictable winds and tinder-dry conditions continue to fuel the fire. In a season when South Georgia wetlands should normally be recharging with seasonal rains, a drought that has seized the region has meant a 2-foot rain shortfall in Brantley County, according to the Georgia Forestry Commission.  

In addition, dried wood still left over from devastated timberland from Hurricane Helene in 2024 is a ready fuel source.  

The result, Georgia Forestry Commission said, is wildfire activity this year that's has surpassed the state’s five-year average.  

Firefighters from across the state and region have poured into battling the Brantley County fire and the Pineland Road fire to the west. Gov. Brian Kemp activated the Georgia National Guard to aid in the effort. Helicopters continue to drop water on the fires from the ponds and swamps still holding some moisture.  

"The fire community is very close knit: They support each other, got each others' back a lot across the state," said Seth Hawkins of the Georgia Forestry Commission.  

While Hawkins said the help was welcome, he said there was an even better way to put out the Brantley County fire and to end the risk of others like it.  

"We need rain, man," Hawkins said. "We need some rain."